Tag Archives: floristry courses

Floristry Basics: Colour Theory

In our previous post about colour we talked about how colour has the strongest emotional power of all of the elements (did the vivid colours in above photo really grab you?), and how combining colours and creating harmony with them can be one of the most pleasurable parts of floristry.

In this post we delve a bit further into Colour Theory.

Colour theory is best understood with the aid of a colour wheel. This tool is a great visual aid that describes how colours relate to each other, and how to interpret these relationships. The ‘12 Colour’ colour wheel is the one that’s most often used in floristry and other design industries.

As you can see, half of the wheel is made up of ‘warm’ colours, while the other half are referred to as ‘cool’ colours. Black, white, and grey are considered neutral colours, and are not included on the Colour Wheel. Their role within the Colour Wheel is to be mixed with other colours on the wheel to create tints, shades, and tones. A colour becomes a tint when white is added to it. When black is added to a colour, a shade of the original colour is created. Meanwhile, when grey is added to a colour, it becomes a tone.

You may remember this next part from school:

Primary Colours

Red, yellow and blue. These colours are known as the Primary Colours and are base colours. They cannot be created through the mixing of other colours.

Secondary Colours

Secondary colours are the colours created when any two of the Primary Colours are mixed together.

For example:

Red + Yellow = Orange

Yellow + Blue = Green

Blue + Red = Purple

Now we move onto the more complex colours.

Contrasting/Complementary Colours

These sit directly opposite each other on the colour wheel. Examples of these colours include the violet and yellow colours within an Iris, or the Christmas colours red and green

Monochromatic Colours

Monochromatic colours are a single colour, and are modified using tints, shades, and tones of the original colour.

Triadic Colours

These are defined as colours evenly separated and spaced around the colour wheel. They produce good contrast and harmony with each other. To lessen the overall colour intensity, one colour can be used to dominate the design, while the other two complement its strength.

Analogous Colours

Analogous colours are next to each other on the colour wheel. They create a flowing natural look to a design. You can create a warm or a cool colour palate, depending on the side of the wheel from which you select your colours.

Split Complementary Colours

These are created when selecting one complementary colour, with the two colours lying either side of the opposing complementary colour. For example, red and green are complementary, so you might choose red, and then use the two colours which sit each side of green, these being blue-green and yellow-green.

Hopefully this insight into Colour Theory has given you a greater understanding of how combining colours and creating harmony with them is an enjoyable part of your floristry career (and why we cover it in our Floristry Career Change Course in even further detail). By gaining an understanding early on about Colour Theory, you can put your skills into practice, and have fun experimenting with colour.

Are you looking for a change of career?

Our Floristry Career Change Course is available as a full time or part time course. Places are strictly limited. For further information, and to apply, please email enquiries@bloomcollege.com.au

Floristry Shorthand – an important (and handy) skill for every florist

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Following on from our post about Taking Client Orders, let’s take a look at Floristry Shorthand – and why it’s an important and handy skill to have.

Why & When to Use It

Whether or not you are speaking to them over the phone, or in person, customers often speak very quickly when giving you their order. It can be difficult to keep up with what they’re saying, or to miss certain parts of their order – such as what they would like written on the card.

By using shorthand, there’s less to write down, and it will be easier to keep up. Also, by using shorthand specific to the floristry industry, even if someone else finishes off the order for you, they will be able to easily see what needs to be included on the card.

Shorthand Reference List

The messages below are the most common occasions when people send flowers – and their shorthand equivalent:

HB: Happy Birthday

DS: Deepest Sympathy

WDS: With Deepest Sympathy

TOY/TOU: Thinking of you

OTRWU: Our thoughts are with you

TOYATST: Thinking of you at this sad time

LOL: Lots of love

VD: Valentines Day

Con: Congratulations

WD: Well Done

LU: Love you

BW: Best Wishes

As mentioned previously, using extra care when taking your customer orders means less chance of you making an error, or forgetting crucial information – and techniques such as shorthand will help with this. The result will be happier (and repeat) customers, and hopefully a recommendation to others.

Are you looking for a Career Change? The Bloom College Floristry Career Change Course will give you all of the fundamental skills and knowledge that you need to get you started in your new career in floristry. Further details, plus information on our other Flower Courses and Workshops in Geelong and Melbourne can be found on our Courses Page.

Flower Spotlight….the Lily

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Whether they are doing a floristry course, or one of our flower workshops, students at Bloom College all have one thing in common: a love of flowers. We are lucky to have many types of flowers available to us in Australia – and in this post, we look at the ever-popular lily.

Common name: Lily, Asiatic lily, Christmas lily, Oriental lily, LA

Botanical name: Lilium longiflorum, Lilium longiflorum x Asiatic (LA)

Quick facts:

Lilies are originally from Asia and Europe, and are suitable for use in vases and foam. The stem length varies from 30cm–100cm. They are available all year, and are grown from bulbs (and forced to flower) most of the year in Victoria and NSW.

How to tell if a Lily is good quality:

For all lilies, choose straight stems and glossy green leaves.

Avoid stems that have dried out, or aren’t a fresh green colour at the base.

Oriental lilies have two or three white, pink, red or yellow large flowers per stem; choose stems which have fully developed buds which are about to open.
Asiatic lilies have several yellow, orange, red or white flowers on each stem; choose stems which have two or three fully developed buds which are about to open.
Christmas lilies have one or two very large white flowers; choose stems that have fully coloured (white) flowers which are about to open.

Colours:

Asiatics: White, yellow, pink, orange.
LAs come in paler, more pastel Asiatic colours – pink, mango, burgundy, rust, white/cream.
Orientals: White, pale pink, white with a burgundy strip, lemon.
Longiflorums: White, white with a burgundy strip, lemon.

Now that you know a bit more about lilies, it will hopefully help spark your inner creativity.

At Bloom College flower design school we create floristry courses and flower workshops for beginners, the hobbyist and those wanting to pursue floristry for commercial purposes. Our next Floristry Career Change Courses are starting in Port Melbourne in October 2015, and in Geelong in March 2016. Head here for more information.

Jeff Leatham – The Rock Star Florist and Artistic Director of the Four Seasons George V in Paris

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I was very privileged to recently attend a workshop, thanks to Bloom College for sending me! It was put together by Wedded Wonderland, held at the beautiful Intercontinental Sydney, in the Double Bay Grand Ballroom. They invited the very well-known and well regarded florist, Jeff Leatham, to visit us down here in Australia – and he accepted!

The presentation by Jeff was magical. He was engaging, personable, inclusive, and very funny. His stories of celebrity brides, large installations, and his involvement with the Four Seasons Hotel in Paris, were captivating.

He also did a practical demonstration of some of his most popular designs, using beautiful orchids, peonies, roses, callas, alliums and magnolia branches. His signature designs demonstrate bold groupings of the one botanical material, colour blocking and angling of bouquets into beautiful vases. He also enjoys submerging blooms beneath the water line to create bold magnification and dominance to the flower variety.

Going to events such as this really makes me realise how lucky and blessed I am to be a part of this fantastic industry. As Florists, we get to be creative, tactile, work with beautiful botanicals and engage with clients who share this love of flowers with us. I also love being able to pass these skills, knowledge and love of flowers on to all of my students too, and a big part of this enjoyment is that I get to watch them bloom into fantastic florists.

Jeff’s story from a country upbringing in Utah, to an International star of floristry that is globally recognised, and also the florist to so many well-known celebrities – shows us all the excitement and wonder that flowers bring to people all over the world. It also demonstrates the increased importance flowers now have on us as individuals. The demand for large scale floral installations in weddings and events is now evident in the work we do, and shows how the floristry industry is evolving into an important design addition at any event, party, corporate setting or wedding.

I highly recommend attending one of Jeff’s demonstrations if you ever have the chance. It’s also worthwhile keeping an eye out for any other professional development opportunities similar to this that you can attend. It’s important at any stage of your floral journey to do this – whether you are only just starting one of our floristry courses, or have been in the floristry industry for a while. It’s the perfect way to keep your knowledge up to date, and your excitement of the floristry industry blooming.

Rebecca Findlay is a Teacher at Bloom College. Here at Bloom College we value and pro-actively support the learning and continual growth of our staff, and as part of this we were pleased to make possible Rebecca’s attendance at this workshop.

EXCITING NEWS!!: Bloom College is developing some upcoming events with well-known designers – and we’d love for you to attend! To stay in touch with us, and to find out about such events, please sign up to our newsletter, or keep an eye on our Facebook page.

Changes in the Floristry Industry – Are You Keeping Up?

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Right now, the floristry industry is seeing an exciting transformation. It’s a fun time to be a florist (or to be doing a floristry course), as you can enjoy riding the wave of transformation!

So – what are the changes?

1. Retail Environment

Florists traditionally traded only in shop-front retail environments – but there are now an immergence of florists choosing to trade from studios, and other types of properties.

This is very exciting as it offers florists the opportunity to be flexible, and more creative, with their working space – and can also have a big impact on running costs.

2. Strong influence by the Internet and Social Media.

Both florists, and their customers, are strongly influenced by Social Media (such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest), and also from the images and ideas they see on the Internet.

This can be a helpful way for customers to build on their vision and ideas of what they are looking for. But you may need to reign this in from time to time to ensure that their visions are realistic, and also that it fits their budget, and that what they are looking for is available to them.

3. The interest (and desire) to build economically viable and sustainable businesses.

Increasingly, florists are looking to find ways to operate with little to no wastage, lower overheads, and (very importantly) less impact on our environment. This can only be a good thing, right?

As a current (or budding) florist you are definitely in the right place, and at the right time to experience (and contribute to) this changing landscape. By being aware of the changes, you have the power to be a part of the revolution!

Floristry Product Lines

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The 3 Floristry product lines are:

1. Botanical materials

2. Sundry items

3. Ancillary items

Now let’s look at each of these in more detail…

Botanical materials

These include fresh flowers, foliage, plants, dried flower and plant material.

Examples of these are:

Flowers – Roses, Carnations, Freesia and Gardenia.

Native Flowers – Banksia Orange, Australian Daisy, Flowering Gum and Grevillia Flower.

Native Foliage – Emu Grass, Tiki Fern, Geebung Foliage and Tea Tree.

Botanical Items – Jack Fruit, Cherry Blossom, Fig Branch and Star Anise.

Sundry items

These are products required to create an item, such as floral foam, wire, parafilm, and plastic containers.

Examples of these are:

Floral Foam Brick, Green powder coated or paper covered wires and fishbowls.

Ancillary items

These are the items which are not required in the production of the arrangement, but rather used as an enhancement or embellishment.

Examples of these are:

Ribbons, boxes of chocolates and raffia.

These are just a few examples of each of these items – we really could go on forever! When you are first learning about floristry, it may feel overwhelming, but as you learn more you will get to know each of these items in more detail (and discover your favourites!), and your confidence and creativity will grow in leaps and bounds.

Do you want to be a florist? Our Flower Basics Courses are held across 3 locations and are starting soon! We also have other Flower Arranging Courses and Workshops in Geelong and Melbourne. For more information head to our Courses page.

Essential Customer Service and Retail Skills For Florists

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Following on from our post on Taking Client Orders, let’s now look a bit further into Customer Service and Retail skills.

Developing Customer Service and Retail skills is a key component of our Floristry Courses in Melbourne and Geelong, and we go into more detail here.

It’s important to note that floristry has specific requirements, only relevant to this industry, such as:

Weddings
Corporate clients
Funerals
Birthdays
Anniversaries
New born baby celebrations
People taking leave

With each of these client types, a specific emotion or message is being relayed through the flowers you create and send. The art of portraying emotion within a floral installation and arrangement is a skill that comes with time and practice.

Let’s have a look in more detail at the three most common of these.

Weddings

Wedding clients have specific needs and should be dealt with in a structured, appointment style environment.

Some specific points to note:

Offer an initial consultation with your client. Typically this will take half an hour.
Have your wedding clients bring ideas and images that they like to the consultation, and also have magazines and other images to show as examples when you meet with them.
After the consultation provide a detailed quote of what you will provide.
To secure the date, the client will need to pay a deposit (anywhere from 10% – 50%).
Set up a payment schedule, with the final payment being due no later than 2 weeks prior to the wedding.
One-two months before the wedding, book another meeting to finalise attendance numbers, and to check their requirements.

Corporate clients

These customers are a very important part of any floristry business, and one florist should be nominated within each business to be the point of contact to streamline the ordering process.

Some specific points to note:

Have detailed order forms for each of your clients, which include photos of the space. The forms should also include details of:
- Colour
- Height
- Quantities
- Budget
- Contact person
- Placement requirements
- Days & times of delivery
- Position of rubbish removal and water facilities
- Any other requirements specific to client

Funerals

It is a very emotional time when someone dies. Funeral and bereavement flowers are a final tribute to the individual, and help console their loved ones at this very difficult time. Dealing with family members and friends is a very different customer service experience, and can be confronting at times, especially if you have little experience dealing with this situation. It’s imperative that you are sympathetic, professional, and discreet at all times.

Some specific points to note:

Approach this situation with a feeling of honour, having been personally chosen to create flowers for their deceased loved one.
Also, know that your contributions will help them to get through this time a little easier, as you are there helping to make sure they get the flowers they require.
For flowers going to the funeral, it is appropriate to send a cut sheaf of flowers or a wreath.
For flowers going to the home of family or friends of the deceased, never send a wreath or sheaf. An arrangement, or a posy in a vase are appropriate options. Or another option is a plant that can be placed in their garden.

As you can see from the above, floristry is primarily a service-based industry, and you will be dealing with other businesses and members of the public on a daily basis. By developing your ability to create strong relationships early on, it will help you generate new business opportunities, and to ensure return clientele for the business you work for, manage, or own. Our students at Bloom College all gain a solid foundation in Customer Service and Retail as part of their floristry training.

Are you interested in becoming a florist, or refreshing your skills? Our Floristry Courses and Workshops are held across three locations. Full details can be found on our Courses page.

Taking Client Orders – What You Need To Know

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Whether you are working as florist within a business, or have your own business, taking client orders will be part of your usual day. These orders will be quite specific in their requirements, so it’s important that you record all of the details accurately – and that you ask all the right questions.

It may even be worth setting up a ‘Client Order Form’ that you can print out and complete when taking an order so that you make sure you have all the details you need before you start.

What details do you need?

Customer name, address & phone number: Read these back to the customer to ensure there are no mistakes. Also check the spelling of all names, including street names.
Type of flowers & colours: Discuss the flower requests and associated costs with the client. It’s also a good idea to find out details of the event or reason for the flowers, plus ideas on the type of look they require. If required, suggest other options and offer advice on what would be best for their particular needs.
Date & time order was taken: As well as the name of the person who took the order. This is in case there are any questions prior to the delivery of the flowers.
Day, date & time flowers are required: Check this against the calendar to make sure the day and date match.
Delivery (or pick up) details: When are the flowers being collected? Or, if they are being delivered you need the delivery address, contact name and number in case of any questions at the time of the delivery. If the flowers are for a funeral you’ll need to also know what time the service begins. If the delivery is to a home address, check for an alternative if no one is home at the time of delivery.
Credit card details: If they are calling to place the order and don’t wish to hold, you’ll need the card number, expiry date, type of card, full name on card, and 3 digit CSV number (on the back of the card). Make sure this payment goes through before the order is confirmed. Also check if the customer would like a receipt sent to them.
Card message: It’s important that the card message is accurate, contains the correct spelling, and is legible. Remember the contents of the message may be private and personal, so discretion and professionalism must be exercised.

Finally, to complete each order, repeat all details back to the client, and thank them for their time and patience with you. You can also offer them the opportunity to ask any questions they might have.

By ensuring that you have all of the details above at the time of taking the customer order, there will be less chance of you making an error, or forgetting crucial information. The result of this will be happier customers, and hopefully a recommendation to others, and repeat business.

Bloom College App – Learn From Home

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The Bloom College App was created for those of you who aren’t able to attend one of our floristry courses or workshops in Geelong or Melbourne, but would still love to learn more about arranging flowers.

Set out in a DIY video tutorial & recipe card form, the 10 classes offer simple step-by-step instructions to help students create their own stunning flower arrangements, such as:

Garden herb and rose posies
Buttonholes and boutonnieres
Gift bag arrangements, table centerpieces
Tropical arrangements

Students also learn key floristry basics (including the proper care and maintenance of flower and plant materials), vases, containers, foam, tools, accessories, wiring, taping and more.

Other special features you can expect are:

Video instruction led by our very own Yvette Timmins, who in her 25+ year career has won several awards, including Australian Junior Florist of the Year and Victorian Junior Florist of the Year.
Simple and elegant navigation that makes it easy to find the next lesson – or go back and review an earlier one.
Stunning, professional-quality photos that make learning easier – and are simply gorgeous to look at!

But don’t take our word for it – here’s a video (scroll to the bottom of the page) that gives you a glimpse of what you can expect from the App – including a tour that shows how easy it is to navigate, plus a look at some of the stunning images!

http://newsroom.appshout.com/pressreleases/new-bloom-college-app-from-yvette-timmins-is-a-virtual-classroom-that-teaches-floristry-basics-with-recipe-cards-video-tutorials-1074398

Whether it’s for hobby or professional purposes, the Bloom College app is packed with tools and advice to help anyone improve their floristry skills, and is perfect for those of you who arent able to attend one of our floristry courses or flower arranging workshops in person.

It’s available now for iPad from the App Store at https://itunes.apple.com/app/bloom-college/id612719099, and for Android devices from Google Play at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.BloomApp

Event Styling with Flowers – tips for planning & preparation

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Flowers form a crucial role in enhancing the look and feel of any event. Whether you’re a florist or you have been asked to provide the flowers for a wedding or event there are some important things for you to consider:

How far ahead do you need to order the flowers? For most flower varieties we suggest a minimum of 2 weeks however it is best to check with the supplier as this may differ for some flowers and at certain times of the year.
When should the flowers be collected from supplier for maximum freshness? Check with the supplier when they will receive them. If you have a cooler to keep them in then we suggest collecting them shortly after the supplier has received them. That way you can commence the all important care and maintenance and in some cases maturation. maturation is when you need to get certain blooms open in time for the event. If you do not have access to a cooler set at 6-8degrees, you may want to consider waiting until the day of preparation. The day of preparation will depend on many factors but is commonly 1-2 days prior to the event.
Make sure you have packing boxes for transportation (Usually one per arrangement).
To store your flowers, remove the plastic, strip & cut stems, and place in clean buckets of fresh water (Keep flowers in groups of the same variety). Then store them in a dark, cool place (as above; cooler is optimal if available).
Arrange your wedding bouquets the day prior to the event, then store them again in clean buckets of fresh water.

Whether you are the event organiser, or the florist that’s providing the flowers for the event or wedding, with a bit of forward planning your flowers will arrive at the destination as fresh and beautiful as possible.

Are you styling a wedding or event?

Head here for further details on our most popular Wedding course.